As the functionality of handheld electronic gadgets, mobiles and laptops increases day by day, and the development of battery technology is limited, there is a need for possible power sources that can efficiently power-up these gadgets. Even though batteries are most commonly used, they suffer from long recharge time and limited recharge cycles, leading to the generation of electronic waste and environmental impact. PEM fuel cells have high energy density (typically, 500 mW/cm2) and can be refuelled immediately with low environmental impact as compared to batteries. They can be operated at about 50° C. Fuel cell systems for portable applications require both passive components such as heaters and thermistors as well as mechanical components such as valves and pressure sensors, and also electronics to operate them. This makes the overall power systems bulky for use in modern gadgets. The fuel cell consists of an MEA, bipolar plates and a GDL. The MEA is responsible for the electrochemical operation of the cell; the bipolar plates contain a flow field which provides fuel to the MEA and conductive electronic paths. The GDL ensures uniform distribution of the fuel to the MEA. The current is produced at the electrodes and collected by the bipolar plates. The bipolar plates, which are made up of graphite, contribute significantly towards the weight and size of a PEM fuel cell assembly and hence cannot be considered for embedding in portable applications. The conventional approach to reduce the cell dimensions is to fabricate the entire assembly including MEA in silicon technology. This increases the overall cost and provides very low power density.
Hence, a method is needed to fabricate the bipolar plates using a technology which can embed the passive mechanical components as well as the necessary electronics to operate them.
Further, there is a need for a method that has a low development time and that can be used with the conventional MEA to provide higher power density.